The False Promises of Detox Diets (Explained By Someone Who Sold the Products)

Britt Marie Hermes is a former naturopathic doctor who now speaks out against the pseudoscientific ideology, and she just published a fascinating article about how she used to sell “detox diets” and how she now knows they’re a scam.

There is no such thing as a “deep detox.” The entire concept of detoxification in alternative medicine is bogus. There are absolutely no health benefits to be gained from detoxification diets or therapies. Our organs do not need a break from their physiological activities. Drinking special shakes or taking certain herbal supplements is not going to help any organ “work better” or more efficiently. Our body does not need to be “supported” with mega-doses of vitamins and minerals. We don’t need enemas or laxatives to clean out our colons. Needless to say, The Right Detox was not based on any kind of credible scientific evidence.

Hermes points out that, consciously or not, this is all about selling products and making money. And when she was promoting the products, she knew just what her customers needed.

We were hoping to increase business by luring customers into becoming long-term patients. It worked. They would come to the practice ready to invest more time, energy, and money into their healthcare regimen. We were ready to sell them false promises and false hope in the form of supplements and naturopathic therapies like intravenous vitamin drips, enemas, and far-infrared saunas. The detox program did not help patients achieve their health goals.

Did any of that cross her mind at the time? Not at all. She believed in the products so much, she used them herself. And if her own “natural” diet wasn’t working, she just “added more treatments” to her regimen.

That really shows you the problem with these diets. When it doesn’t work, the blame falls entirely on the customers. Not the products. And certainly not on the people selling them to you while making unscientific claims about their efficacy. The real question is whether or not they know it’s all a hoax.

At least we have former detox advocates who can let everyone in on the scam. At the very least, customers should be asking better questions before putting their own health in jeopardy.